Caroline is 4 months old

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Dear Caroline,

You are four months old today! I can't call you a newborn anymore, that's for sure. You're a chunk and a half, and you're starting to interact more with us and your environment. Here's what you've been doing this past month:

* You started grabbing for toys and putting them in your mouth.

* You love to sit up to be able to see what's going on around you. You still like your play mat/gym, but only for short periods of time now.

* You've been on Prevacid for your reflux for a month now. I can't tell that it's helping much. You still struggle to get through your bottles (even from the start of the feedings), and you spit up about 30-50 times a day. It's frustrating and also disgusting.

* You had your first cold. It made it doubly hard for you to eat then (reflux plus no breathing). You were a trooper, though, and although it affected your naps, you still slept like a champ at night. 

* When you eat, you like to keep both hands on the bottle (that is, when you're not flailing them). I'm hoping that you'll actually hold your own bottle in the next few months. Kate never would hold hers.

* As I mentioned, your naps were really off during the week and a half you had your cold, but they hadn't been going real well even before then. You like to sleep for just 45 minutes at a time. At 45 minutes you're supposed to only partially awake before entering your next sleep cycle. I even let you cry, but you don't go back to sleep. This week we're going to work on a new schedule so that you only take 2 big naps and 1 cat nap a day. 

* Night sleep has still been going amazingly well. You go down at 7pm, and we wake you for your bottle at 7am. We don't hear a peep from you. Ever.

* You are SOOOOO close to rolling over from back to tummy. You can get your leg kicked over so that your bottom's in the air, but you can't get your upper shoulder pushed over your arm underneath yet.

* You seem to like tummy time more now. You lift your head really high and balance on your arms really well. You lay your head down when you get tired, and sometimes you'll even start to suck your thumb and close your eyes. 

* Thought I'd mention that baths are fine now. It was just a fluke that you didn't like them for a few days last month. Whew!

* You're becoming more interactive with us. You smile pretty often, and you softly laugh some, too. I still haven't gotten a really good belly laugh out of you yet, though. You love to watch Kate, and you keep your eyes on me pretty closely also! It's fun to "talk" with you; you coo and babble to us, and I love repeating your sounds to you.

We love you, sweet Caroline!

Mama and Daddy


Official Stats:
weight: 16 pounds, 8 ounces (95-97%)
length: 24.5 inches (75th%)
head: 15.9 (50%)
clothes: 3-6 months, some 6 months
diaper size: finishing your size 2s, transitioning to 3s
sleep: 7pm-7am
naps: (supposed to be these times, but you're not making it through any of them) 
8:30am-10, 11:30am-1pm, 2:30-4, 5-6 catnap
feedings: 7am, 10, 1pm, 4, 6:30 (8 ounces at first and last, 5-7 ounces at each midday bottle)